Yang leaf default statement is not honored by Yang/datastore

I have the following in a model

leaf symmetric {
  type boolean;
  default false;
  description "If the chain is symmetric we will create two service paths, one ingress and another egress. Packets traverse the egress service path in the reverse order of the ingress path";
}

If a create new container and do not pass a value for leaf "symmetric" I expect "false" to be assigned. But this does not happen.

If I read the container and try to check the value of "symmetric" from datastore I get a NULL pointer exception:

if (serviceFunctionChain.isSymmetric()) {

}

And serviceFunctionChain is not NULL. All values are properly there with exception of "symmetric"

ServiceFunctionChain{getName=SFC2, getSfcServiceFunction=[SfcServiceFunction\{getName=firewall-abstract2, getOrder=0, getType=class org.opendaylight.yang.gen.v1.urn.cisco.params.xml.ns.yang.sfc.sft.rev140701.Firewall, augmentations={}}, SfcServiceFunction\{getName=napt44-abstract2, getOrder=1, getType=class org.opendaylight.yang.gen.v1.urn.cisco.params.xml.ns.yang.sfc.sft.rev140701.Napt44, augmentations={}}], augmentations={}}